The Burning by Jane Casey, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan is assigned to an on-going investigation into identifying a serial killer, but she's not convinced the latest victim fits the pattern, in The Burning, the first mystery in this series by Jane Casey.

The press have labeled the killer "The Burning Man" since all of the young woman murdered to date have had their bodies set on fire. There are no clues left at the scene of the crime, and all the police have to go on is a psychological profile: a man between the ages of 38 and 45 years old, but not a sexual predator; his thrill comes from stalking and then killing women. A fifth woman has been found, Rebecca Haworth, and though everything points to her being a victim of the Burning Man, Maeve has her doubts. Everyone she questions tells her that Rebecca was a wonderful person, without faults. No one would hurt her. Still, Maeve can't help but believe there's far more to Rebecca's life than she's being told and thinks someone has mimicked the Burning Man's highly publicized method of murder to cover up a different crime. But her colleagues think otherwise, that Maeve is diverting their investigation away from real killer.

The author does a fine job of balancing the introduction of a new character with a solidly developed murder investigation. Though Maeve Kerrigan is a delight as a woman in a male-dominated profession, this premise is hardly original and is wearing a bit thin. Fortunately, the storyline is strong enough to compensate for some of the obvious clichéd situations that present themselves.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Burning.

The Last Girl
Minotaur Books (Hardcover), May 2013
ISBN-13: 9780312622015; ISBN-10: 0312622015

The Burning

A Maeve Kerrigan Mystery by Jane Casey